Americas

Accepting—or rejecting—historical guilt for past evils doesn’t absolve nations of present-day responsibility.

Michael Mandelbaum has written a masterful interpretation of the twists and turns of U.S. foreign policy.

A new history of modern art flips the script by focusing on dealers, collectors, and curators.

A new era of tensions will focus minds and break logjams, as Cold War history shows.

The top U.S. negotiator is making a last-ditch trip to Vienna.

As Biden’s Saudi visit showed, state-to-state shaming isn’t the only way to shift the calculus of authoritarian rulers who abuse their citizens.

The controversy over Nancy Pelosi’s proposed trip highlights the contradictions of U.S. policy toward the island.

Alleged assaults by musicians have sparked a larger conversation on gender violence in the country.

With top officials beset by U.S. sanctions, the country’s IMF negotiations are bound to get complicated.

Another failed bill further weakens the country’s global position.

Rather than antagonizing political opponents and geopolitical rivals, the U.S. government should entrust infrastructure development to the World Bank—and fund it generously.

Immigration is the United States’ secret sauce—including in its competition with China.

The president’s trip to Saudi Arabia and talk of regional security guarantees are a dramatic departure from his rhetoric during the 2020 race.

Washington says it wants to relocate supply chains to the Americas but has offered few concrete incentives to do so.

It is possible to protect nature and provide nutrition for all. Here’s what the U.S. needs to do to make it happen.

As the U.S. midterms near, Washington is plagued by groupthink and a lack of vision that prevents creative solutions to the problems of a new era.

The former Mexican president aimed to transform global imbalances. But he’ll be best remembered for his repressive regime at home.

Adam Tooze points out that while the economy is in rapid slowdown, this is no time to panic.

A year after mass demonstrations, the island continues to crack down on its most vulnerable communities.

But the country’s cycle of political change remains in flux ahead of a September referendum on the progressive charter.

In a country where one woman dies every two days from a botched abortion, the internet is sometimes the only option.

Both maximalist and minimalist strategies have utterly failed.

Julianne Smith on the military alliance’s new strategic concept, Finland’s and Sweden’s accession, and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Both Israel and Saudi Arabia want a stronger deterrence stance on Iran.

Preventing growing Chinese influence in the Middle East is more important than making Riyadh a pariah.

The decision is part of a broader trend of domestic dysfunction that undermines U.S. President Joe Biden’s democracy agenda.

A deep dive into this very American food.

The United States can no longer afford to buy geopolitical allies with market access.

Here’s how Washington can fight back.

To avoid disaster, the United States must relearn crucial Cold War lessons.

Public pressure for fuel price relief could echo across the region.

Global anti-abortion activists have waved off criticism by pointing to their support for LGBTQ rights. But U.S. conservatives may be too extreme for that tactic.

The alliance is one of the best bargains in geopolitics.

On both sides of the Pacific, women are fighting for their rights.

The future will not be pretty for the United States if it cannot rediscover some of the idealism that marked its long rise.

James Kirchick chronicles how the persecution of gay men in Washington tragically altered 20th-century foreign policy.

Pedro Castillo promised leftist reform. His incompetency has left his country’s democracy on its last legs.

Almost 50 years ago, the United States liberalized abortion laws, and the world followed suit. Today, it joins Iran, North Korea, and Russia in rolling back reproductive rights.

Biden must make it clear to Saudi leaders that continued ballistic missile cooperation with China will jeopardize U.S. missile defense assistance.

If his presidency goes according to plan, the country could become the world’s biggest crude exporter to halt new exploration.

He campaigned on “Hugs, Not Bullets.” Now, he’s militarized the country.

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was a rare—and messy—bipartisan success.

Matthew Duss, a foreign-policy advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders, appraises the Biden administration’s foreign policy.

A lack of rules has created fraudulent, bubble-driven markets.

Decades of ignoring the menaces posed by Russia and China has led the West to a precipice.

CPAC Brasil is evidence that Bolsonaro’s brand of conservatism is becoming more mainstream elsewhere in South America.

Targeted awards can free up money where its most needed.

This is the first time since World War II that there may be no cooperative way out.

Naval power projection is a long way out for Beijing still.

A new nuclear era demands strategy, not just arms control.

Talk of security guarantees for the UAE and a thaw in Washington-Riyadh relations could enhance—or weaken—U.S. standing in the region.

Focusing on military budgets alone hurts the alliance’s relevance.

The controversial Summit of the Americas yields some progress on health and migration cooperation.

China has gained military and diplomatic footholds in Cambodia and the Solomon Islands.

How two decades of misjudgments by Washington helped lead Tehran to the nuclear brink.

The administration wants to support human rights, but it doesn’t have the courage of its convictions.

“If that’s our attitude, we’re never going to win a war again, ever,” said one U.S. source familiar with the debate.

The right to say anything has been a challenge to every democracy that has ever existed.

An anti-establishment candidate’s late surge in the country’s presidential race has transformed the election.

It’s all about isolationists vs. internationalists.

Looser migration restrictions would benefit both rich and poor countries.

Paul Kennedy made his name bemoaning America’s decline. Now, he highlights a way to reverse it.

The lifelong outsider has built a campaign team of political insiders in an attempt to win the Colombian presidency.

A botched disinformation board shouldn’t be the end of efforts to educate the public.

The June Summit of the Americas is an opportunity to unveil a more ambitious regional economic strategy.

Election front-runner Gustavo Petro is a former left-wing guerrilla.

As in Afghanistan, Trump’s decisions to withdraw have only emboldened terrorists.

A new law restricting content moderation will have ripple effects far beyond the state.

Even if the new constitution is adopted, Chile’s anti-democratic right wing is here to stay.

U.S. Latin America strategy needs serious reform—before it’s too late.

The good news: Lockdowns reduced crime almost everywhere else, and we know how to stop lethal violence.

Washington loosens its sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela ahead of a critical summit.

China’s expansion into the South Pacific caught Australia and the United States off guard.

The Taliban didn’t have to take over. But Washington made sure they would.

He aspired to be the next Henry Kissinger. Instead, he became embroiled in the Iran-Contra scandal.

The United States shouldn’t bargain away Venezuela’s future for oil.

Whether it’s Iran, China, Cuba, or immigration, U.S. President Joe Biden often finds himself stymied by his predecessor’s foreign policy.

White supremacists today are engaged in a global discussion, with violence part of the dialogue.

And why it’s time to take it back.

The Brazilian leftist has crafted an unusual alliance with the center. Will it sully or save him?

Substitute dollars backed by almost nothing are taking down the market.

Washington’s framing of its fight against Russian aggression has failed to win over most of the world.

In two new books, Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama try to cure the patient.

As usual, U.S. assistance pays everyone except governments actually providing services to the world’s poor.

Many argue abortion is not just an issue of individual choice but also of social justice.

Critics question Trump-era tariffs as inflation climbs and U.S. leadership lags.

Biden faces pressure to secure release of Americans wrongfully detained abroad.

The old approach of outreach and inclusion has failed. In the wake of Russia’s latest invasion, Washington must seek to erode Moscow’s power.

The populist president and his devotees are casting a dark cloud over the October vote.

The upcoming Summit of the Americas could be the gravestone on U.S. influence in the region.

The White House’s chief medical advisor assesses the world’s response to the pandemic.

Fast-expanding satellite broadband services are proving decisive during war and other emergencies.

Soaring inflation is just one reason for Washington to keep global disintegration in check.

After an uneasy detente, the Biden administration’s China strategy is about to make itself felt.

Far-right leaders want to erase the memory of the junta’s disappeared. The fight to remember them is now in the hands of Argentine youth.

With his strategy to “weaken” Russia, the U.S. president may be turning the Ukraine war into a global one.

The White House is mellowing its public criticism of the stances Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico have taken on the war.

America’s climate envoy on what it will take to turn things around for the planet.

Some officials are worried that the Taliban could use U.S. drones and small arms.

Of the 14 countries beyond the United Kingdom that retain Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, at least six in the Caribbean want out.

It’s a long-term solution for climate change with plenty of short-term problems.

The White House’s chief medical advisor and NIAID director answered subscriber questions in this special edition of FP Live.

The country aims to lure investors and become a global clean energy hub.

Investing in global health security can provide critical insurance against disaster.

The debt-saddled country is struggling to meet its climate goals under IMF austerity.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has exposed some difficult truths about the world’s energy needs.

Haitian collaborative groups affirm that “every human is human.”

Mexico and the United States might be headed for their biggest clash yet under USMCA.

Russian mercenaries fill Mali vacuum as European powers pursue an exit.

For decades, Chinese leaders thought they knew the man who would become America’s 46th president. But he was changing all along.

The militarization of space is picking up pace.

The Pentagon is scrambling to deter China while adjusting to war in Europe—but does its new approach amount to more than just rhetoric?

During the pandemic, Washington outsourced harsh migration management to its southern neighbors.

A revived nuclear pact could benefit Washington and Tehran but is proving a hard sell.

People fleeing conflict in Cameroon wonder why they aren’t getting the same treatment as Ukrainians.

War in Ukraine and Yemen has strained relations between Washington and its Arab allies. Small moves from both sides could put things back on track.

Lawmakers are wasting a chance to fix the mistakes of COVID-19.

Journalists have written the “first rough draft of history,” but now it is historians’ turn to assess a most unconventional presidency.

There are two possible pathways after Ukraine. One of them is harrowing.

A landmark report on human rights in China was delayed six months over a behind-the-scenes impasse on LGBTQ rights.

El Salvador’s lull in homicides was likely the result of such negotiations. They’d be far from Latin America’s first.

Africa and Asia’s long-standing ties to Russia and resentments against Washington keep them on the fence—for now.

A new history of fakery in U.S. journalism shows the public has always had an appetite for fake news.

The United States’ most reputable media outlets have a long history of tilting toward military action.

But Ukraine’s plight haunted her final days.

Latin America’s most stable democracy holds a high-stakes policy referendum.

Saudi Arabia’s cooperation on lowering oil prices will come at the cost of the West’s values.

A lifelong foe of autocrats who declared, “I do wear my patriotism on my sleeve.”

The West’s sanctions abroad will fall short without cooperation on bailouts at home.

Other majority-minority societies offer positive examples—and cautionary tales.

State Department tells local employees it left behind that the U.S. will continue paying them for “as long as possible.”

Russia’s war in Ukraine stirs Venezuela’s dreams of conquest in oil-rich Guyana.

Seven thinkers weigh in on how the war will shift U.S. foreign policy.

A leftist has never ruled Colombia. But after last week’s primaries, the country’s upcoming presidential election is Gustavo Petro’s to lose.

The U.S. mirrors tactics used against China on Russia as war in Ukraine escalates.

A Democratic lawmaker accuses Sen. Rick Scott of “single-handedly undermining” the United States’ full response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Does U.S. support for an investigation of Russia’s attack on Ukraine signal a bigger policy shift?

The Trump-dominated GOP models how a violent effort to overturn an election—even if unsuccessful—can become a political asset.

Colombia’s designation as a major non-NATO ally comes at a critical moment.

If everybody is responsible for countering digital authoritarianism, no one is responsible.

Washington continues to empower repressive and corrupt Latin American governments through flawed security initiatives.

The last time prices soared, Latin American economies boomed. Now, trouble is ahead.

Moscow is seeking to use the Iran deal to shield itself from the full effect of Western sanctions.

It’s a symbolic move—with potentially big geopolitical consequences.

A surprise trip to Caracas seems to have secured some energy relief—but needs to yield democratic benefits, too.

The crisis in Ukraine has reminded the United States and Europe that they have a purpose in the world.

The Canadian prime minister’s low-profile approach harmed confidence in his leadership at home and abroad.

Thomas Wright of Brookings has made a career studying the international order. Now he might get to fix it.

After protests are forcibly ended, questions remain about government power.

U.N. General Assembly deplores Russian aggression in Ukraine in a lopsided 141-5 vote that underscored Russia’s deepening diplomatic isolation.

Washington’s efforts to stop Moscow’s war dominate U.S. president’s State of the Union address.

The U.N. Charter puts limits on the veto power permanent members enjoy. Now, some countries want that enforced.

The UAE withholds criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as it seeks Moscow’s diplomatic backing in Yemen. 

Russia warns retaliation likely.

How to punish Putin without devastating Europe’s economy remains a challenge.

“Concerned about providing lethal aid before the war started,” the Democratic congressman is now more “open” to helping Ukraine.

India and the UAE remain on the fence, worried about relations with Moscow.

Skyrocketing oil prices give Venezuela’s embattled leader less incentive to pursue sanctions relief.

Restrictive export controls, including on semiconductors, may be more effective than Western sanctions alone.

Pivoting to Asia and forgetting about Europe isn’t an option.

Founded in a bygone geopolitical era, the economic grouping complicates great-power competition today.

More than just “spin artists,” consultancies have promoted economic growth and environmental protection as mutually reinforcing.

The nation’s unsustainable development model has ignored serious environmental risks.

The U.S. president is committed to containment against Russia. But what kind?

A conditions-based policy can reassure allies while moving U.S. policy forward.

A key anti-espionage effort is mired in accusations of racism and overzealous prosecutions.

Remittances from migrant laborers could help drive economic growth in places such as Guatemala.

A gender and generational divide influences how professors teach about history-making events.

Costa Rica’s next president will guide a pro-democracy pact with Panama and the Dominican Republic.

Diplomats didn’t get serious about the U.S. evacuation until days before it began.

Debates over which targets to prioritize aren’t exclusive to jihadi groups.

How the Canadian trucker protests became a big-tent rally of Canada’s growing far-right.

Her election came on the heels of a major conviction in the murder of environmentalist Berta Cáceres, suggesting there is hope for the country’s civil society.

Shanthi Kalathil played a key role in organizing Biden’s Summit for Democracy.

A divisive bill represents a watershed moment for the gun debate in Brazil.

A new report is being hailed by conservatives—but doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

In Mexico, a breakthrough trade case involving General Motors could become a global model.

It’s on the United States to break the detente because Cuba’s continued isolation may have serious geopolitical consequences.

No matter who wins, Sunday’s vote won’t make headlines abroad. That’s a good thing.

Alberto Fernández and Guillermo Lasso hope financial backing from China can quell economic and political troubles at home.

Ground-level evaluations can help avoid future horrors.

Islamic State leader kills himself during a raid by elite U.S. forces.

A country euphoric about its first woman president is plunged back into political turmoil.

U.S. envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield presses António Guterres to confront China over rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Last week’s agreement may set a better precedent for dealing with debt levels around the world.

From the exploitation of Africans by the European colonial project to the American empire’s “long war on terror,” here are a few entry points.

The region’s left has won a series of elections—but U.S. interests aren’t under threat.

Over the past century, the United States came to rely ever more on economic coercion—with questionable results.

Tech companies around the world could easily recruit more women and minorities if only they knew where to look.

There’s no reason U.S. grand strategy should be so concerned with its own reputation.

His failure to tap ambassadors to key posts “sends the wrong message.”

The Latin American country has experienced one of the world’s most impressive—and surprising—trajectories of the past three decades.

Political opposites Olavo de Carvalho and Elza Soares garnered vast youth followings in the final years of their lives.

Love him or hate him, Russia’s man in Vienna has become the Iran deal’s unofficial spokesman.

Washington’s latest crises with Russia and China are part of a new—and long-term—competition.

Natural gas is key to the energy transition—but only if companies clean up their act.

The country is a test case for Beijing’s encroachment in Latin America.

Why aren’t Beijing’s ambitions in the region obvious to Washington?

A new resolution aims to forge a foreign policy that works for everyday people.

The spread of transnational violent groups is primarily a governance problem. Time to start treating it like one.